Using Robots to Study Host-Microbiome Interactions

Journal: Exploring
Host-Microbiome Interactions using an in
Silico Model of biomimetic robots and engineered living cells – Published in Scientific
Reports.

Dr’s : Heyde and Ruder

Funded by: National
science Foundation, USA

Understanding the human body is vital to understanding how
the body works and how drugs can interact with the body. Microbiomes play an
important role in the regulation of the behaviour and health of its host (which
could be the human body or part of it).

Within this new piece of research, scientists have prepared
an in silico model of a living
microbiome, engineered with synthetic biology, which interfaces with a
biomimetic, robotic host. They used this technique to copy complex behaviours
in the host giving larger understandings of the exploration of inter-kingdom
ecological relationships.

The researchers studied two different topologies of
information flow, critical for host-microbiome interactions to help us
understand biochemical interactions. The way the synthetic gene circuits,
allows the exploration of genetic pathways and relationships in a single
organism. This in silico system works
as a tool, used to augment and examine the interconnected network hat drive
host-microbiome interactions.

·Using the changes in nutrient sources to
prescribe a range of robot behaviours.

The scientists expect that this model system will have
implications in fields ranging from synthetic biology and ecology to mobile
robotics. Heyde and Ruder also believe that their model system provide a useful
system for exploring host-microbiome interactions with synthetic biology.